Facebook will crack down on profiles that issue fake "Like" clicks on its site in an effort to reassure advertisers that its system works.
"A Like that doesn't come from someone truly interested in connecting with a Page benefits no one," said the company on its security blog. "When a Page and fan connect on Facebook, we want …

Re: Shock announcement...

Supposing you are a music band. People who "like" your band will receive updates about what gigs you are playing, and if you are playing near them, they might attend the gig. That is an example of where facebook advertising can work. Obviously it is very different to Google advertising where people search for a Ford Transit Van for example will get links to local van dealers and might buy the van from one of them.

places like Fiverr.com sell 1000s of likes for just a few quid, i don't see how they can stop it as its not illegal just against the fb T&Cs which don't mean squat in the real world. If they suspend those fake accounts they will just create more, i suspect they probably have unused fake accounts and a large group of friends attached already sat there waiting to be used when needed

buy likes?

You don't need to buy 1000 likes for a few quid. For a few bucks on FB's own advertising, you just check the box 'target my ad at morons who click to like everything' (ok, I am paraphrasing, but you'll know it when you see it in the options) and hey presto, within a day or two you've got 1000+ likes from people all over the sub continent who appear from their profiles to be liking about 100 things a day and have almost ridiculously diverse tastes from death metal to the nolan sisters to flower arranging.

FB has been busted. It's a sham, their only income is essentially selling fake 'likes' because everyone sees these buttons everywhere and thinks their site has to have one. Real people rarely click 'like' even on things they actually like, and so FB offers a way to bung them a few bucks and get 1000+ likes no questions asked. Everyone wins.

It is only a matter of time before everyone has discovered themselves that having a FB button, even with lots of likes, produces no noticeable benefit. I think we're almost at the point. Once that happens, FB advertising falls off a cliff, they fumble around with charging users for the service, freetards abandon it en masse, and the business shrivels or gets taken over for a bargain basement price, if they're lucky.

Banks who invested and underwrote the shares lose billions. The taxpayer is shaken down for even more cash so that bankers can continue to fund their bonuses and drink the best champagne.

More buy likes...

Re: buy likes? @cap'n

"Once that happens, FB advertising falls off a cliff, they fumble around with charging users for the service, freetards abandon it en masse, and the business shrivels or gets taken over for a bargain basement price, if they're lucky."

Then it must be the perfect merger candidate for Yahoo! Wait for the announcement.